When display modes such as an in-plane switching (IPS) mode, a vertically aligned (VA) mode, and an optically compensated bend (OCB) mode are employed for liquid crystal display, a fast response speed can be achieved. A liquid crystal display that uses a liquid crystal layer exhibiting the Kerr effect to achieve higher response speed is known. The Kerr effect is an effect by which the refractive index of a transparent isotropic medium exhibits anisotropy in proportion to the square of the external electric field. In the liquid crystal layer exhibiting the Kerr effect, since the correlation length (the influence degree of orientational order) of the liquid crystal molecule is short, the layer exhibits a high-speed electric field response of several milliseconds or less and provides a high response speed. A cholesteric blue phase (simply referred to as “blue phase”), smectic blue phase, and quasi-isotropic phase are known as liquid crystal layers exhibiting the Kerr effect.
JP-A 2008-201682 (KOKAI) discloses a liquid crystal display in which the temperature range of a liquid crystal material exhibiting a blue phase is 10.9° C. (temperature: about 12° C. to 23° C.) by adding dendrons to the liquid crystal material, and the range is extended as compared to when not adding dendrons. However, there is a need for a liquid crystal material exhibiting a blue phase in a wider temperature range in order to be put into practical use.